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January 14, 2004 |
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Covering Up...
I would like to say that this mild weather we are receiving
is a great thing. Great for me, a person who despises the cold.
Not so great however for those plants who need and want a long
winter's nap. I have been out in the garden snooping around and
there are several perennials in my garden that are starting to
"green up" around the root base because the ground temperatures
have been so unstable. A couple of things to keep in mind about
the garden this time of year.
- Make
sure that you have adequate mulch in place to stabilize the
ground temperature.
-
Place some mulched-up
leaves on top which will add an extra layer of warmth to help
keep plants from heaving.
I know that
mulched-up leaves are not pretty to
look at but speaking from experience they work better than
anything I have ever tried. Not only do they help to keep ground
temperatures stable they also break down into the soil making
it easier to work in
Spring. Not such a bad thing considering the amount of
clay found in our area. So even though the temperatures have been
spiking don't be too eager to uncover
your plants. I am pretty positive that we still have several
weeks of cold winter weather ahead. Sad but true!
Mid January
is upon us and Kevin and I are busily preparing for the
Johnson County Home & Garden Show which starts Friday,
February the 27th through Sunday the 29th. What a great
opportunity to walk around and talk with other people in the
gardening industry. This is a great show so you will want to mark
it on your calendar. We will let you know where you can find us
in a few weeks. We love to talk with old and new
subscribers alike. Spring will certainly be in the air that
weekend! Can't wait!
~
Shelly
Reconsidering Grow Lights...
When ambient light is scarce many indoor
gardeners turn to "grow lights". These pricey items are
designed to emit light primarily in the red and blue regions of
the light spectrum. However, grow lights actually give off
less light than standard fluorescent lights. A standard
fluorescent unit containing two regular 40 watt fluorescent tubes
or one cool white and one warm white tube will provide adequate
light for house plants and are much more economical. Save your
money for the plants!
Source
More On Late Bulb Planting...
In response to our musings last week related to not getting
spring bulbs planted early enough, Savvygardener Judy H. of
Roeland park writes, "Last year I didn't get my spring bulbs
planted in a timely manner... so I bought a few bags of potting
soil, set the bulbs on the bare ground of one flower bed and
mounded the soil over them to the correct depth. I placed the
bulbs closer together than normal; and after they bloomed this
past spring, I was able to move them to their permanent home."
Sounds good to us Judy! We'll try it this year also.
Don't Forget
The Birds!
It's hard for our feathered friends to find
food in the winter months. Keep your feeders full and you
will be rewarded with beautiful garden visitors year round. If
you're interested in attracting specific birds here are
some popular birds and their favorite menu items:
Bird
Type |
Favorite Foods |
American Goldfinch |
Niger
thistle seeds, broken sunflower hearts, oil-type sunflower
seeds. |
Northern Cardinal |
Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn,
millet, other seeds, unsalted nutmeats, raisins. |
Black-capped Chickadee |
Oil-type
sunflower seeds, cracked unsalted nutmeats, safflower,
suet. |
Dark-eyed Junco |
Red or
white proso millet, finely cracked corn, oil-type sunflower
seed, unsalted nutmeats. |
Grosbeaks |
Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn. |
Mourning Dove |
Oil-type
sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet, safflower,
cracked corn, wheat, milo, other seeds. |
Native Sparrows |
Red or
white proso millet, oil-type sunflower seeds, cracked corn,
some safflower. |
Woodpeckers |
Suet,
unsalted nutmeats, sunflower seeds, cracked corn. |
Source
Blowin' In The Wind...
When those north winds blow we humans find ourselves feeling
colder than the actual ambient temperature would suggest. We
know that as the "wind chill factor". For warm-blooded animals,
wind chills can have a profound effect on their ability to keep
warm. However, plants do not respond to wind chills because they
do not need to maintain a temperature above that of the outside
temperature. It's not all good news for the plants however.
Wind is desiccating and can dry plant tissues. Plant
tissues require moisture to survive and high wind speeds can
cause excess moisture loss from those tissues. This desiccation
may be great enough to injure or even kill tissue, particularly
the smaller size wood as in peach twigs, apple spurs or
blackberry canes.
Source
Rethinking Repotting...
Upon purchasing a new houseplant a common mistake made
by
many is immediately repotting it in a decorative container.
Unfortunately this puts additional stress on a plant that may
already be pretty stressed out. A better solution?
Simply place the plant, with it's existing container, inside the
decorative pot. Now you have the best of both worlds.
Anxious For Asparagus...
Want to grow asparagus from seed, but hate to wait the extra
year to harvest? Try seeding the asparagus indoors in late
winter to get two year's worth of growth in one season. Plant
seeds 3/4 inch deep in flats. Sow them 1 inch apart in rows 2
inches apart. Provide as much natural light as possible and
supplement it with fluorescent lighting. Fertilize the seedlings
every three weeks once they have their true leaves.
Source
Finally... "There is material
enough in a single flower for the ornament of a score of
cathedrals." ~
John Ruskin |
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